Overview

The Professional Doctorate in Criminology and Criminal Justice (or DCrim) is a 4-8 year part-time course. 

In the first two years you would be required to attend taught modules. There are 5 modules in total, each of which is taught in 1-2 day blocks. Around this formal teaching, there are regular opportunities for face to face and e-mail support. In years 3 - 4 (and beyond where necessary) you would work under the guidance and support of a nominated supervisor to produce a 60,000 word thesis.

The DCrim builds on the established and very successful UG and PGT provision in Criminology and Criminal Justice in the School to provide a specialist route for professionals and managers working in the field of criminal justice, or in related fields, who wish to embark on doctoral study located within their own professional discipline and practice.

Indeed, this programme focuses on practitioners and professionals in criminal justice (e.g. policing, courts, probation, prison work, alternative sanctions, community sanctions, service providers in the sphere of drugs and addiction, and so on) or related fields of work and practice (e.g. local authority and third sector service providers in the sphere of crime prevention, security, community building and offender rehabilitation; private providers in the above or related spheres; non-governmental action in a variety of spheres such as environmental action, human rights policy and activism, and so on). This list is not exhaustive.

Practitioners and professionals working in fields and organisations as diverse as (e.g.) Amnesty International and (e.g.) the Police all share a common sphere of work which is structured around problems and issues of deviance from legal norms.

Course content

Module 1 (30 credits) Introduction to theories and methods as a reflective practioner-researcher (EDU-40116)

Assignment: Self-Reflection and Personal Development Plan

Module 2 (30 credits) Critical perspectives in criminology and criminal justice (CRI-40034)
Assignment: Theoretical perspectives essay

Module 3 (30 credits) Research methods and evaluation (EDU-40117)
Assignment: A general research methods critique

Module 4 (30 credits) The pilot study (EDU-40105)     
Assignment: a commentary and report on a pilot study that will inform the final research proposal for the thesis

Module 5 (60 credits) Preparing and presenting a thesis proposal (EDU-50001)
This is a summative assignment comprising a written research proposal and an oral presentation

Years 3 and 4+: A Research Thesis 
This will be up to 60,000 words and will draw from the previous five assignments. It should form a contribution to the knowledge of the subject area and show evidence of originality, either by the discovery of new evidence, or by the exercise of independent critical power. The thesis is examined by the conventional method of the viva voce.

Tutors will guide the participants through their formative assignments and a supervisor will be allocated for the Thesis Proposal and Thesis.

Entry requirements

A candidate for the Degree of DCrim should:

• hold a Masters Degree of this University or of another deemed equivalent; and,
• hold that qualification normally in the general field of social sciences or its equivalent in professional experience in the areas of criminal justice (broadly defined); and,
• have access to email and the internet for the e-supported parts of the programme
• there is no deadline for applications but you are strongly encouraged to apply before 1st August to secure your place and to receive the preliminary course information. 

Contact details

Administrator: Tracey Harrison

Telephone: +44 1782 7 34256

Email: socialsciences.profdoc@keele.ac.uk

Additional costs

• Additional costs for textbooks, inter-library loans, photocopying, printing, and potential overdue library fines.

No other additional costs for this postgraduate programme are anticipated.

Award pathway option

Upon successful completion of the taught part of the DCrim programme and a 15-20,000 word mini-thesis, students may be awarded an MRes (Criminology and Criminal Justice).